Watch: World’s tallest bridge stands out in major load test

The Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge in Southwest China’s Guizhou province, considered the world’s tallest bridge, has recently completed a major load test ahead of official opening for traffic.

The bridge underwent a five day testing process to check its stiffness, structural strength, dynamic performance, and safety standards.

During the testing process, the team drove 96 trucks, weighing about 3,360 tonnes in total, in batches onto marked points of the deck to check stress in towers, cables, suspenders, and main span.

According to Lei Min, load test director, “We simulated extreme conditions with 3360 tonnes of load to activate maximum capacity of the bridge structure under normal use. Today, we focused mainly on monitoring the displacement of the main towers on both banks, the bending moment at the tower roots, and maximum tension in anchor span cables.”

The height of The Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge is 625 meters (2051ft) from the bridge deck to the bottom of the gorge, surpassing the previous tallest bridge, the Duge Bridge. The bridge span is approximately 1420 meters (4,658ft).

The bridge is scheduled to open for public in late September, 2025.